Processed cheese is a food product made from fresh or regular cheese and other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt and food colourings. The unfermented dairy ingredients can include products like Simplesse, which is a whey protein product that is used as a substitute for fat in low-calorie foods.
The use of emulsifiers in processed cheese results in cheese that melts smoothly when cooked. Without such emulsifiers, processed cheese has a tendency to separate into a molten protein gel and liquid fat when heated. The emulsifiers (typically sodium phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, tartrate or citrate) reduce the tendency for fat globules in cheese to coalesce and pool on the surface of molten cheese. However, most processed cheese tends to “undermelt” and has a plastic-like appearance even when heated.
Any method of making processed cheese where the melt characteristics can be controlled is desirable. This would be beneficial to the cheese making industry, large consumers such as the pizza industry, as well as individual consumers, as processed cheese has many advantages over fresh of regular cheese, in particular it has an extended shelf life.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process of making processes cheese having improved melt characteristics and/or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.